Basketball

Champion Rhodes says pressure is on for next SMB import

Paul Lintag on Jul 03, 2017 10:59 AM

"The pressure’s on him now." --- Charles Rhodes to Wendell McKines, San Miguel's Governors' Cup import.

Charles Rhodes is a happy man right now. After winning the 2017 Commissioner's Cup with San Miguel Beer, the weight on Rhodes' shoulders has been lifted with him capturing his first-ever pro title.

And with the Beermen going for a Grand Slam, Rhodes can afford to offer advice to San Miguel's next import Wendell McKines.

But in reality, there's not much else to say to McKines. It's championship or bust for him now especially with the way Rhodes single-handedly solved San Miguel's longtime mediocrity in the mid-season tournament.

"I told him the pressure’s on him now," Rhodes said when asked what's his advice for San Miguel's incoming Governors' Cup reinforcement who's been in town by the way since the latter part of the Commissioner's Cup elimination round.

"The pressure’s off my back. I’m a champion, so I ain’t gonna [worry about that]," Rhodes added on the Beermen's Grand Slam aspirations.

McKines, a returning import who previously played for Alaska and Rain or Shine, should know how San Miguel operates in the PBA.

With a rare opportunity to go for a triple crown, the pressure should be overwhelming not only for McKines but for the entire team.

However, Rhodes is pretty confident on his successor with the Beermen.

"I just gave him encouragement. And he’s going to get the job done; he’s a hard worker," Rhodes said of McKines.